savebabe Posted March 20, 2006 Share Posted March 20, 2006 Its probably a little bit late, but an on-line raffle. You know, around $2 a ticket (people can use PayPal) with a vegan pack for the drawn winner. Most people can afford to part with $2, it doesn't really hurt the hip pocket that much. Also, they get something out of it. If you had longer, an on-line auction with items that have been donated (you could have these itmes listed on Ebay). I'd be quite happy to donate items, if this is something you may look at in the future...nothing would get to you in time now though....... Another idea that works wonders (over here) is garage sales (or weekend markets). Buying cheap items from garage sales (or opportunity shops) and then reselling them. You'd be surprised what people throw away. You are also doing the environment a favour by recycling used goods. You do your mark-ups 200% and people (with money) love buying "retro" items. Most people are either making room for new goods, getting rid of items no longer wanted, and its all cold hard cash. If all else fails....you may have to go with Tarz.....I'm sure you would have many takers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gorilla Posted March 20, 2006 Share Posted March 20, 2006 Does anyone have experience with ebay trading? I've heard that can be lucrative if you do it right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savebabe Posted March 20, 2006 Share Posted March 20, 2006 We've had loads of experience with Ebay, and it can be very, very lucrative. At the same time, we have had some trouble (only recently) getting the cash out of some of the bidders. Mostly though people are very upfront with their payments. Its a good idea to make sure they have access to PayPal, as it makes the transaction smoother. You can also set up your own shop online. I buy (mainly buy I must admit -just don't tell my husband) and sell online. I like to set the bid at a certain amount (my husband doesn't agree to this method though). Sometimes the winning bid is so low that the only thing it covers is the postage. Other times the amount it closes at is almost beyond comprehension. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madcat Posted March 20, 2006 Share Posted March 20, 2006 What do you sell? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savebabe Posted March 20, 2006 Share Posted March 20, 2006 Anything, and everything I can get my hands on. Old mags....calipers...we run a second hand store, so items we feel are worth more money, (easy to post) we will list. Also, presents people send us. We just sold one of those new portable hands free game console/ MP3 player, (Sanjo brand). Its not our thing. I won't let my daughter play video games, so we sold it online. A lot of people have made lucrative careers online selling home made items. One of our English friends she sells paintings online (and she's average as a painter) she makes a fortune. Another lady I know makes up bread boxes, paints some country folk art and sells them online. She makes a small fortune. You can set up a shop and sell end of line items, health products, second hand clothes. Anything really. its only limited by your resources. I'm going to be making up candle holders from scrap metal we have laying around the house. (when I get time that is). Seond hand books tend to do well. So long as they are in good condition. if you can make it to sme clearance sales, where they bid on itmes, you can usually pick up boxes of pre-loved books at bargain prices. Then re-sell them generally at a profit margain of around 1000%.(prices marked up indivually). The bonus of Ebay is you have no rent to pay! Digital cameras are a must. A clear photo of the items listed is very important. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelby Posted March 21, 2006 Share Posted March 21, 2006 The summer of my Jr./Sr. year of HS, I worked for a lady who owned her own business selling stuff (actually, it was more like crappy stuff, but I guess people will buy anything) on E-Bay. She made some pretty good Johnny doing so... however, I sure didn't.... long story, but she consistently wrote me checks that would bounce, thus, not only did I NOT get paid, but I had to pay for the bounced checks, which caused my account to become negative, leading to even MORE fees that I had to pay. She was an evil, evil woman . I was hired to be her "shipping girl," yet I did everything from cleaning her insanely messy house (so messy that u couldn't walk from one room to the other without having to make a pathway by shoving boxes full of stuff out of the way), chasing around her bratty kid, going to the post office with over 80 boxes and packages, go to auctions, and taking care of her 8 beagles (all of whom were treated horribly... I should have gone to animal control about how they were treated, but I knew that they would have been euthanized if i did). Anyways, the moral to the story is: Don't work for anyone selling stuff on E-Bay! You will become their slave! As for ways to make a quick buck: I liked everyone ideas on here, like garage sales, the veggie-dog stand, etc...What about babysitting? I know u like kids, and this is a quick way to make some fast, tax-free cash. Same goes for pet-sitting.Have u considered getting certified at a Personal Trainer? You'd rock at it, and depending on where u work, u can make some good money (although not where I work! The amount of money I have in there would make Bill Gates cry like a school girl, lol... it's a sad, lonely place in there, lol). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savebabe Posted March 21, 2006 Share Posted March 21, 2006 Hey thats a fantastic idea!!!! I forgot about childcare and cleaning!!! I used to make loads of cash getting up at the crack of dawn, cleaning before starting my day job (and straight after work), and w/ends babysitting. Only thing is, you may find people take advantage of you IF you allow them to. I used to charge $10 an hour (cleaning or childcare), and would make around $50-$80 a night. Just need loads of energy, and it helps if you can get in with doctors/corporate clients. Don't recommend agencies as they take a fair percentage from your pay, can treat you poorly, and can be slow payers. Must advise, always ask for cash, no cheques. You must have the patience of a saint Shelby, there is no way in hell I would have been taking a cheque from anyone who bounced one cheque. In addition, I would have made her pay ALL my bank fees as well. She sounded like a pig, but thats an insult to a very intelligent animal! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelby Posted March 21, 2006 Share Posted March 21, 2006 Must advise, always ask for cash, no chequesYep, I sure learned the hard way! You must have the patience of a saint Shelby, there is no way in hell I would have been taking a cheque from anyone who bounced one cheque. In addition, I would have made her pay ALL my bank fees as well Patience of a saint? HAHAHA... not quite. Trust me, I did all I could to get the money I was owed, but she did everything SHE could to not pay me. I sent her certified letters, went to her bank, went to her house (and she wouldn't answer the door), called her, threatened to take her to court, threatened to get the police involved (which I did, since my uncles are cops, but they said that there wasn't much they could do)....etc.... Basically, it wouldn't have been worth it to take her to court b/c I would've been farther down the hole than I already was (court fees, etc...). And with my luck, she STILL wouldn't have paid me, lol. Oh well.... I used to make loads of cash getting up at the crack of dawn, cleaning before starting my day job (and straight after work), and w/ends babysitting. Wow, u are such a hard worker!!!! How'd u find the energy to that all that? Don't recommend agencies as they take a fair percentage from your pay, can treat you poorly, and can be slow payersVery true! Also, if u work as an independent contractor (like me), u often get screwed b/c they take a HUGE chunk of whatever u charge. They end up making a LOT more than I do, especially after paying my quarterly taxes. Ugh, I need a new job! She sounded like a pig, but thats an insult to a very intelligent animal! I don't even know what she could've been compared to... maybe a fungus or bacteria or parasite???? Those can be quite evil and nasty.. as well as being known to take advantage of others! LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savebabe Posted March 21, 2006 Share Posted March 21, 2006 I had no choice, mind you I was only 23 then, and was used to getting up early to work on the farm (packing, picking fruit ), as I was working in child care, the pay was really poor. Had rent to pay, gym memberships, and my biggest crutch (my food, alcohol-back then, and clothes ). Whats your occupation? Just curious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelby Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 I'm a full-time college student, personal trainer and lifeguard (in the summer). I'm looking for a new job though b/c the PT is not very lucrative. I really need to save up now b/c once I start my nursing program this fall, I won't have much time (if any!) to work. What do u do? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaSiren Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 This is an old thread, but the answer is very easy. Rob do a male review. I promise you will be a hit and rake in a few hundred in an evening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert Posted March 22, 2006 Author Share Posted March 22, 2006 Seasiren, Megan and I talked seriously about this for hours, and then days, and after thinking it through I decided against it. I kept it quiet on here, but Topher knew about it and so did others. People cautioned my "repulation" would be at stake and maybe I wouldn't be much of a role model, etc. There were various answers to my question....why not? So "for now" I've decided against it. But those who know my personality, know that I would love to do it! At least a few times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaSiren Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 Seasiren, Megan and I talked seriously about this for hours, and then days, and after thinking it through I decided against it. I kept it quiet on here, but Topher knew about it and so did others. People cautioned my "repulation" would be at stake and maybe I wouldn't be much of a role model, etc. There were various answers to my question....why not? So "for now" I've decided against it. But those who know my personality, know that I would love to do it! At least a few times. OK in private then at some of the Vegan events...we'll bring bills (jk) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert Posted March 22, 2006 Author Share Posted March 22, 2006 It will be the Prime fundraiser for the Vegan Vacation in August Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odidnetne Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 You know though, in respect to something like that, which you can get "tips" or something for, is to be a DJ and work at weddings and things of that nature. I was doing it for a short period last year but I had to stop because of school and my other job (that I'm thankfully out of now) piling too much on me at once. It pays good side money, it's really fun, and it can be a weekends only thing, but you definitley wouldn't ruin your reputation doing the electric slide at weddings. There's probably companies in Corvallis that do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert Posted March 22, 2006 Author Share Posted March 22, 2006 Thanks for the tip Ed, and by the way, your movie has been shipped out I'm doing a lot better with money these days. I'm not totally starving and collecting cans.....well, I still collect cans but I haven't turned them in recently (sorry Megan, I've been meaning to for a LONG time, and I'll get it done soon). Thanks everyone....ok, time to eat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odidnetne Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 Awesome, thanks a lot. That's good though, I should try talking to someone about recycling in Pennsylvania, I'd love to just be able to walk around and collect cans and get some fresh air & burn a few calories doing so too, and a couple bucks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert Posted March 22, 2006 Author Share Posted March 22, 2006 yeah dude, I make an extra $1000-$2000 a year on cans when I really get into it. So it helps out quite a bit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert Posted June 29, 2007 Author Share Posted June 29, 2007 I finally found this thread! It took me a while since it used to be in the Advice and Feedback section that is no longer around, and I finally found it on like page 18 of General Discussion. Anyway, I'm just providing an update. You've all probably noticed over the past 6-12 months I've added up some banners, some ads, logos, and things like that to the forum. For a long time I struggled to find out ways to make money doing what I like to do. Then I got a job with Vega and that helped out big time. I also produced a DVD Documentary "Vegan Fitness Built Naturally" and that made profit months ago, so that was cool. The t-shirts don't make any money, in fact I lose a lot of money since I end up giving so many away, but it helps spread the message and build community. But back to the ads. I finally found a way to make money doing something that requires no effort. The work has already been done. I spent years building this community and building a name for myself and now we get up to 10,000 visits a day on the forum (many of those are from visitors, mostly from myspace links I post daily...and then a % become members, as many of you have. So anyway, I discovered that advertising and affiliate programs seems to be the way to go. I make money each time something is clicked, which takes little to no work from anyone but helps support this site. I've put so much money into building it, maintaining it, giving away thousands of dollars in prizes, building the community, etc. that think it is not only fair that I get some kickback via the ads and banners, but it's actually quite helpful. I still don't make that much from them, but there is potential to make quite a bit, especially as our forum grows (which has a lot to do with how much I promote our community). I know not all the ads fit in well with our theme, but most do. They are word-sensitive so if we're taking about the Caribbean in threads, you'll probably see travel ads for the Caribbean. If we're talking about milk and dairy, there may be a few ads that pop up related to those topics. But most have to do with "vegan" interests and the nice thing is that I can filter out key words and specific websites (which I've done) and they way it works is that the ones that are clicked on the most, pop up the most. So if you see ads you don't like, don't click on them, or e-mail me and I can try to block that site from coming up again. In short, I discovered a great way to make extra money without doing any active work, just "cashing in" on years of hard work that built this community. I still struggle financially but this is a big help and we'll do our best to make the banners and ads appropriate for the site and the money generated from them will help support this website, this community and the different things the community offers it's users. You might even discover some really cool websites by checking out some links too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odidnetne Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 Is today like "Blast from the past" day or something Rob? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert Posted June 29, 2007 Author Share Posted June 29, 2007 Yeah, a day of reflection and looking back at things I've done over the past year to help myself out and help others out. Searching for this post, I ran across some old threads I wanted to bump up. It's just cool to see how the community has grown. Just walking back home after the gym I bumped into Jessifly on the street, and bumped into one of presenters from my Vegan Holiday Festival and it seems that everywhere I go in Portland I see someone who has been part of my growing community. So I bumped this up, because I know some people were bothered by the ads, but I worked hard to fix them and make them appropriate so they would be more attractive and applicable and that interesting ads would be clicked on and support the website, which is what is happening. I give so much of myself, so it is refreshing to get a nice little kickback from Google checks that come in the mail each month. Now we're starting affiliate programs with hand-selected companies such as Vegan Essentials and other great companies to come. It all helps support us all. The more I have to work with, the greater impact I can have and I'm pretty well connected so it goes far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odidnetne Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 I wish I bumped into forum members on the street....I don't even bump into humans on the street where I live. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesty leroux Posted July 1, 2007 Share Posted July 1, 2007 so wait, you get paid every time one of us clicks on the various adds displayed on the site? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert Posted July 1, 2007 Author Share Posted July 1, 2007 Yeah, although I'm not supposed to tell people to click on them. That is part of my "contract." I'm technically not supposed to directly tell others to click on them, but that is how it works. I'm just simply explaining how the ads work. I explained it pretty well in previous posts just so everyone knew what the ads were doing and how they work and why they are here..........they are mostly vegan ads that come up the more a specific ad is clicked, the more likely it will come back. Likewise if there are ads that aren't very vegan friendly and they don't get clicked on, they probably won't appear very often. I can also ban specific ads, so let me know if there are certain ads that are not appropriate that appear week after week. We're also adding banners because we're getting around 5,000 hits a day and we're popular enough that many websites and companies want to be associated with us and will pay for banner space....which helps me because I provide this website, the contests, the Vega specials, etc. all for free, and I accumulate a lot of expenses doing so. You didn't hear anything from me. I'm just explaining how it all works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesty leroux Posted July 1, 2007 Share Posted July 1, 2007 glad you explained it cause i had no idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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